Following the match, Arteta hailed Mari, stating that he is adapting pretty well. As quoted by the Daily Star, the Arsenal manager said: “I think he was very good and in the first half he took a few moments to sort out what he needed to do. He’s brave, he’s willing, he’s impressive without the ball and he has a presence. He is very vocal around his team even if he’s only been two days here, but he has that ability and that character. I’m really pleased with him.

“He’s doing well, he’s adapting really well. It’s not an easy league and the central defender in my opinion to play in the Premier League is one of the toughest positions to play for any foreign players. But he’s very willing, he’s learning and has a very good experience and understanding with his teammates.”

Mari has made two appearances for Arsenal since joining them from Flamengo and has done fairly well for them so far. Arteta will be hoping to see better performances from the Spaniard during the remainder of the season if the Gunners are to have a chance of qualifying for the Champions League next season.

Given how Mari has done in his first two matches, there’s a good chance of him being getting a start in Arsenal’s next match on Wednesday and that will be a big challenge for the 26-year-old as the opponents are Manchester City. Provided the Spaniard starts and does well against Pep Guardiola’s, there’s every possibility of him being a regular starter for the Gunners.